In Your Arms
by CelloSolo2007
Summary: [Permanent HIATUS.]
1. Innocence

Title: In Your Arms

Summary: After Thorn actually kills a mythical creature, she stops fighting for good. Yay, right? Wrong.

Genre: Angst/Action/Adventure/Romance

Rating: T

Disclaimer: If you recognize something, I don't own it! Okay?

AN: By the way, I rate all my fics T, just because I don't know what will happen. I'm a "write-as-you-go" person.

Chapter 1: Innocence

It was midnight on the warmest day of the year, August 29, and there was a full moon out. Thorn stood out in the open, bathing in the full moon. She was smiling under her mesh mask. She wore a leather shirt that ended just below her breasts, and she had a white zig-zag design on her right arm. Coming from the bottom of her shirt to the top of her cotton pants were four criss-crossing strings, two from the front and two from the back. In the front, whenever the strings crossed, there was a small keyhole circle. Just to the right of her belly button was a tattoo of a rose. This revealed the true identity of Thorn, but only two people knew that: herself and her Huntsmaster. Her pants were black, matching her shirt, and on each leg was a red Chinese dragon, which looked much like the dragon her Huntsmaster had killed almost one year ago, the American Dragon's dragon master. She wore black shoes, high-heeled for maximum efficiency when fighting. They were easy to walk in because the heels were very thick and not too high.

A few months ago, she had cut her hair to shoulder-length. She no longer braided it, she just held it out of her face by putting it in a ponytail. Her eyes were still bright blue, and her hair was still naturally blonde. On her wrist was a birthmark: a red dragon, similar to the ones on her pants, that twisted and turned around her wrist. The head of the dragon rested on the palm of her hand, like all other members of the Huntsclan.

She was by far the best fighter in the Huntsclan. Even better than her Huntsmaster. Better than her parents, her cousins, and other relatives. Not all of her relatives were members of the Huntsclan. Some members married outside of the Huntsclan, therefore their spouses did not bear the Huntsclan symbol. Their children, though, did bear the symbol. However, both of her parents had been members of the Huntsclan. They had been fourth cousins, both bearing the Huntsclan symbol. Perhaps this is why Thorn was a good fighter. Who knows?

For five years now, she has been fighting the American Dragon, and losing. True, she was a great fighter, but the American Dragon was a better fighter. Even without a dragon master, he was still doing very well. Another dragon started fighting by his side, and Thorn had finally stopped fighting them after losing many times. She couldn't risk getting hurt again.

She had never actually killed anything before. She had just captured the creatures for her Huntsmaster to kill. Today, though, things would certainly change.

Thorn stood just a few hundred feet from a female centuar. The centuar had a red body and red hair, with red eyes as well. Her human torso was the same color as Thorn's, and the centuar wore a red shirt that had two strips going from the shoulder to the waist on the opposite side. She wore a halo of daisies in her hair, a very beautiful centuar. Carefully and quietly, Thorn took out her net. It was no ordinary net; it was a net that held magical and mythical creatures against their will. Under the net, the creature was defenseless. The centuar's tail flipped, then remained motionless again.

In a mere three seconds, Thorn had successfully captured the centuar, who couldn't escape. Thorn was out on her own tonight. She hadn't even told her Huntsmaster that she was out hunting. She was going to do this alone, without any help.

The centuar looked at Thorn with question in her red eyes. Thorn looked away, the guilt setting in. Regaining her composure, she turned around with a dagger in her hand. It was an ordinary dagger that you could buy from a store, with a black handle and a double-edged blade. She lifted the dagger up high over the centuar's body, and let gravity do its job.

Thorn opened her eyes and looked down at the centuar. The dagger was embedded in her chest: immediate death, no doubt. She pulled the dagger out and blood spilled from the open wound. Yes, it had penetrated the heart. Thorn's eyes drifted from the chest up the torso to the face. Thorn bit her bottom lip to keep herself from crying out. The centuar's eyes were still open.

"Oh my god," Thorn whispered. "What have I done?" She fell to the ground and buried her face in her hands. Soon, she felt another presence beside her and looked up to see a familiar face. She mumbled something that couldn't be heard into her hands, which were now covering her face again.

"Thorn, what happened?" a deep voice asked. She just shook her head. She really didn't feel like talking to anybody. When a hand was placed on her shoulder, she shoved it off angrily and looked up, her face stained with tears.

"Leave me alone, Dragon!" she snapped before disappearing. The red dragon jumped back in surprise.

AN: Okay, how did you like my first chapter? This is by far my favorite story, so I should be updating this pretty soon. I take constructive criticism and suggestions as well, just don't go to far out on the suggestions.

-Ayla-


	2. Problematic

Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it! Got that?

AN: Thanks for the reviews. Especially you, YFWE. Here's chapter 2, like I promised.

Chapter 2: Problematic

Jake arrived at his front door at around six o'clock in the morning. He took out his key and unlocked the door. He quietly shut the door behind him and turned around. Suddenly the light turned on and a fifteen-year-old girl with a wide grin on her face was sitting on the living room couch.

"Busted," she whispered. "Where ya been?" Haley loved to tease her older brother. Jake groaned quietly and turned into a human.

"I was out patrolling the area," he answered back in a whisper. "Nothing happened. Okay? Go to bed, Haley." The girl shrugged her shoulders and stood up. Jake covered his eyes with his hand. "Oh god, Haley, why don't you wear normal pajamas?" Haley grinned as she bounded up the stairs in her black lingerie. Haley was only fifteen but had a steady boyfriend. This made her feel more grown up, and she went out and got her some new clothes. In the past three years, Haley had gone from innocent sixth grader to sexy ninth grader. She had also gone to what Jake, Trixie, and Spud had once called the dark side, or goth.

There was a rasp knock on the door and Jake yawned. He was too tired to answer the door, so he let his dragon tail do the work. When the door opened, Spud was standing there with a goofy grin on his face. Jake sighed.

"Haley just went to bed, Spud," he said, then shut the door. Jake had absolutely no energy. Spud and Haley had been going out for three years, and for the past month now, Spud had been coming over to Jake's house almost every night. Jake shuddered at the thought of Spud and Haley...

"Dude, I just came over to tell you that Trixie came over lookin' for you," Spud said through the door. "She said she came by and you weren't home."

"I just got home. I'll call her and talk to her tomorrow," Jake said. "Thanks, bro."

"Hey, I might just really be your bro someday," Spud said as Jake started to walk away. Jake shivered and looked back at the door.

"Yo, Spud, I don't wanna even think about you and Haley doin' it together," Jake said. He heard Spud mumble something and Jake walked upstairs to his bed. He soon fell asleep.

* * *

Jake and Thorn were fighting. She was fifteen, he was sixteen. Jake grinned as she fell onto her back.

"What makes you think you can mess with my sister and get away with it?" he asked sarcastically. Thorn stood up and smirked.

"Are all of you dragons related, or is it just me?" she replied back. Jake smacked her with his tail, sending her flying into the wall. When she slumped to the ground, unconscious, Jake became worried. He quickly looked her over, she was breathing very lightly, almost not at all. He turned into a human and checked her pulse. A light, slow beating could be felt. He backed up quickly. She couldn't die. He couldn't have killed her. He just couldn't have.

"Dragon up!" he called, turning back into the American Dragon. He picked up Thorn's limp body and proceeded to take her home. There was blood all over the floor where she had been and now all over his arms. She was losing blood fast.

_Ding dong!_ The doorbell to the big castle rang, and in a few seconds, the door opened. Thorn's Huntsmaster was standing at the door. His smile soon turned to a scowl as he observed the scene in front of him.

"I didn't mean to...I mean...I don't want her to...please help her," Jake finally said. "Her pulse is low and she's not breathing very well. Please help her." When her Huntsmaster just stood there, doing nothing, Jake growled. "Fine, I'll take her to the hospital." He took off into the sky and disappeared, leaving her Huntsmaster confused.

When Jake arrived at the hospital a few minutes later, he turned into a human and ran inside, Thorn still in his arms. A nurse rushed Thorn into the emergency room and did a few check-up tests. When she came out, she looked at Jake with concern.

"She's lost a lot of blood," the nurse said. She was blonde with green eyes. "Would you be willing to do a blood transfusion?" Jake began to stutter.

"Well...uh...I don't know. We're not family, and..." Jake trailed off, unable to state his other reason. "We might not be the same blood type."

"Her blood type is O. What's yours?" the nurse asked hurriedly. Jake sighed.

"Mine is O, too, but--"

"But what? This girl is going to die if you don't get in here right now," the nurse said, and this fact made Jake follow the nurse down the hallway into room 273B. When he got in there, he noticed first off that her mask was gone and in place was an oxygen mask. Jake sighed heavily. He had to do this...for Rose.

Twenty minutes later, the blood transfusion was over, and Rose's pulse was back to normal. She hadn't waken up yet, and, because he respected her privacy, he put her mask back on her face. Though he had already known who she was for two and a half years. That didn't matter. She didn't know that he knew, had he wanted it to stay that way. He picked her up and left the room. He slashed his credit card through the sensor and paid the bill with debit, then left the hospital, Thorn sleeping peacefully in her arms.

"Dragon up," he whispered, and flew towards the castle where she lived and trained with her Huntsmaster. He once again landed in front of the door, and he let himself in, seeing as the door was unlocked. He walked up the stairs and put her in her bed. He smiled and gently pulled the sheets over her body. Then he left, undetected.

* * *

_Beep beep beep beep beep be--_ Jake hit his alarm clock and yawned as he streched his arms out above his head. Ding dong. Jake stood up and yawned again. He'd had a dream about a fight with Thorn three years ago, and how he had saved her life once again. After that, he couldn't risk hurting her, so their fighting had dwindled down to now nothing. Now, whenever he showed up, Thorn would just leave. Jake stumbled down the stairs, still half asleep, and answered the door. When a familiar face appeared, Jake motioned for them to come in and sit down. Jake went over to sit on the couch.

"What's up, Trixie?" he asked. He noticed that her eyes were red. She had been crying.

"Well, you know how Granma's been sick for a while? Well, yesterday, I went up to her room to see her, and...she wouldn't wake up." Trixie buried her face into Jake's chest and Jake hugged her gently. "Everything's happening so quickly. First, Daddy died when I was four, then Momma died two years ago, I found out Pappy died last year, and now Granma's gone. I'm all alone now, Jake. All alone." Jake hugged her tighter.

"No you're not, Trix. You've got me. I'm still here. I'll never leave you," Jake said. Trixie gulped.

"I know it," she said, "But pretty soon, you're gonna move, or something, and then I'll be alone again." She looked up at Jake and he, lightly, kissed her.

* * *

AN: Okay, Chapter 2 is up. Poor Trixie. If you're wondering, Trixie and Jake aren't "officially" a couple. They consider themselves "affectionate friends." Well, as you can plainly see, it's not going to bee that way for long. Haley and Spud...creepy. But, every story must have its creepy parts. Review please. Oh yeah, I take any challenge you can throw at me. HAHAHAHA!


	3. Pure and Clean

Disclaimer: Recognize it? If the answer is yes, I don't own it!

AN: Thanks for the beautiful reviews guys (and girls). Here's chapter 3.

* * *

Chapter 3: Pure and Clean

Thorn entered her home as always: tired. She really didn't feel like talking to her Huntsmaster, especially after going out alone. Though she was almost eighteen, she was still not allowed to go hunting without permission. In three months, she would be able to. On her eighteenth birthday, when she herself could become a Huntsmistress. Then she could train a young member to fight. Yes...to fight. Not to kill, though.

She had almost succeeded in making it to her room, when a light turned on. A hand was placed on her shoulder, holding tight so she couldn't transport anywhere. Throughout the years, the Huntsclan had discovered new technology. Transporting was one of them. Now any member of the Huntsclan could go anywhere in the world in the blink of an eye. This certainly heped with fighting, because one could disappear and reappear behind one's opponent. There was a flaw, though. Two people couldn't transport to the same place at the same time.

Thorn sighed and turned around. She gave her most innocent look, but in return was greeted with a frown.

"Where have you been?" her Huntsmaster asked. Thorn looked around and smiled weakly.

"I was...out..." she said quietly. "...hunting." Though she was seventeen, she was still scared of her Huntsmaster, especially after what had happened many a night when she was younger.

"You do know that you aren't allowed out without my permission," he said sternly, and all Thorn could do was nod her head. "That's a week without leaving the house. Understood?"

"Yes, Huntsmaster," she lied. She would have to leave at some point. She couldn't stay here forever. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to--

"And no transporting either," he said. Well, that ruined any chances of escape. "I will be keeping an eye on you." Thorn had a question.

"Who...will I be training...you know...when I become a Huntsmistress?" she asked. Her Huntsmaster smiled.

"My dear, you are the youngest member. There are no other members who are not already Huntsmasters. Our clan is slowly disappearing," he said, the last sentence floating through her mind. Thorn nodded and he let her shoulder go. She walked quietly to her room and slipped into her bed, not even changing into her pajamas.

"Our clan is slowly disappearing..." was the last thought that ran through her head as she drifted into sleep.

* * *

Rose was searching franctically, looking for something she had gotten a long time ago.

"AHA!" she cried as she pulled out a slip of paper. On it was written, "Thorn, IM me if you have any trouble. Screen Name is: RedDragon32. -The American Dragon." She sighed and walked over to the computer. She had left the American Dragon with no explanation of what had happened, and she wanted to clear it up. She logged in and typed in his screen name. Sure enough, he was online.

FighterGurl27: Hey, Dragon, U there? I know U R.

RedDragon32: Yeah, I'm on. Whaddya want?

FighterGurl27: I just wanted to say I'm sorry for leaving U without an explanation last night.

RedDragon32: Yo, it's a'ight. I would have probably dozed off while U were talking N-E-ways.

FighterGurl27: I wasn't even supposed 2 B out there, but I kinda had 2.

RedDragon32: Y?

FighterGurl27: U wouldn't understand. Huntsmaster caught me. I'm on lockdown.

RedDragon32: Harsh.

FighterGurl27: Hey, could U meet me N CenPark N 15?

RedDragon32: Y?

FighterGurl27: I need a 2nd opinion on something.

RedDragon32: 15 it is. C U!

FighterGurl27: U 2.

Rose sighed. What was she doing? She couldn't do this, her Huntsmaster would kill her. But she wanted to. Who cares about destiny anyways? She would meet the American Dragon in fifteen minutes in Central Park. Great. Now all she had to do was get out of the house.

* * *

AN: Cliffhanger. I'm not to good at doing that. This was perfecto! Hah! Will she make it? What will happen? What is she going to do? Why am I asking stupid questions? Just review, people!

-Ayla-


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